The Greatest Strikers of the 1970s



No.3 Wlodzimierz Lubanski

Prolific goal-scorer from the 1960s and 1970s, Wlodzimierz Lubanski was Poland's highest goalscorer until his record was broken by Robert Lewandowski in 2017.

A club legend of Górnik Zabrze, Wlodzimierz Lubanski won the Polish Championship seven times with the club and the national cup six times during his 12 years there. He also holds the record for being the youngest ever goalscorer in the history of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League, with his goal against Czech side Dukla Prague in 1963 as a 16 year old. Despite his fantastic goal-scoring record with the national side, his time with The Eagles is also tinged with sadness, a cruciate ligament injury in the 1974 World Cup qualifier against England denying him an appearance at the tournament itself, and leaving fans wondering if the team could have gone even further than the fantastic third place they achieved had Lubanski been spearheading their attack.

Lubanski would achieve some international success though - winning the 1972 Summer Olympics with Poland, and whilst the competition might not be regarded that highly in Britain (mainly because the home countries aren't allowed to enter it), it's seen as more prestigious on the continent.



No.2 Salif Keïta

The first ever winner of the African Footballer of the Year Award, Salif Keïta was a fantastic forward who was a prolific goalscorer throughout his career but particularly his six years in France, most famously with Saint-Étienne, and then with Marseille. He would win three Ligue 1 titles with Les Verts, his goals helping the side become the strongest side in France, and helping to set them on the course to becoming one of the most feared sides in Europe.



No.1 Hans Krankl